The Hon Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, presents the Gold Award of the 2018 HLMA to Zhiyuan Bai (center) from La Salle College for his research paper titled “On the Trapezoidal Peg Problem among Convex Curves”.

Mr. Adriel Chan (right), Executive Director of Hang Lung Properties, holds a dialogue with Dr. Owen H. Ko, 2004 HLMA Winner and Assistant Professor of the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics and School of Biomedical Sciences of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, on his mathematical journey to neuroscience.

The biennial HLMA was organized by Hang Lung Properties Limited in conjunction with The Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Department of Mathematics of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). An announcement and awards presentation ceremony was held at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center today, with The Hon Mrs. Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as the guest of honor.

This year, a total of 260 students forming over 90 teams from over 60 schools entered the competition. A record high of 27 individual entries were received. All submitted research reports have gone through stringent reviews by the HLMA Scientific Committee. Shortlisted teams have been invited to attend the Oral Defense and make their final presentations to the Scientific Committee. A total of HK$1 million in prize money was presented to the Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards winners and five Honorable Mentions.

Mr. Weber Lo, Chief Executive Officer of Hang Lung Properties, said, "Today marks the eighth occasion that we organize this mathematics research competition with CUHK for secondary school students. 'We Do It Right' is our business philosophy that extends to all aspects, including corporate social responsibility. HLMA is our longest community investment initiative for youth; it also aligns with government's policy in promoting STEM education. Through this Award, we aim to cultivate our young people's interest in mathematics and to nurture a pool of talents, which would ultimately enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong."

Professor Zhouping Xin, Chairman of the 2018 HLMA Scientific Committee, was thrilled to meet with students who are so passionate about mathematics. "It is truly incredible for them to dedicate so much effort to mathematical research over such a long period of time. Most of the research reports submitted by the participating teams demonstrate the creativity, originality, and ability to conduct mathematical analysis to a remarkable level. The breadth and depth of mathematical understanding of the students is truly impressive. I hope that, no matter whether they win an award in HLMA this time or not, they can sustain their passion for exploring mathematics, constantly striving for society's future technological advancement."

Established in 2004, the HLMA encourages secondary school students to realize their creative potential in the study of mathematics and sciences by stimulating their passion for intellectual discovery, the goal being to nurture Hong Kong's students to pursue their passion in mathematics and sciences and enrich the society. To further promote mathematics to the public, Hang Lung has launched the Facebook fan page "HLMA -- To Infinity". This provides a variety of posts and interactive games that illustrate how mathematics is applicable in our daily lives. The page adopts a lively thought-provoking approach designed to raise public interest in this core discipline.